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photo of a septic effluent filter system-photo adapted from US EPASeptic or Graywater Filter Clogging FAQs

Q&A oin clogged septic system filters or septic media filters:

This article series discusses the diagnosis and repair of clogging of various types of septic effluent filter systems and graywater filter systems to protect the septic drainfield or drywell system from damage.

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Signs of a Clogged Septic Tank Filter or Graywater Filter

Photograph of septic tank bafflesThese questions & answers about clogged septic filters were posted originally

at SEPTIC FILTER CLOGGING SIGNS - you will want to review that quick checklist of septic tank filter trouble-signs.

On 2018-08-14 by (mod) - if septic filter were clogged would effluent run clear?

Pretty remarkable that your insurance company is diagnosing the problem when no one has looked at your house.

It sounds to me like you need a plumber on site. I'm sorry but I'm getting increasingly confused by the question so I'm reluctant to speculate further

On 2018-08-12 by Anonymous

& if the septic filter were "clogged" would it overflow clear like that? Thank you soooo much for your time.

My insurance company is telling me they won't cover damages 'because it is all septic related' & no one has even come out or taken the time to actually see what the real problem was.

On 2018-08-12 by Monique

sorry to bother you again, but if it were sewage back up... would it present as clear water?

On 2018-08-09 by (mod) -

I can't say, Monique but certainly there's a difference between overflow of toilet fill water and sewage backup. Neither will be sanitary since the fill water that overflows comes out through te toilet bowl, but there could be 2 underlying problems: a clogged toilet drain (start by having the drain checked and cleared) AND a fill that kept on filling way too long - you had to shut off the water supply.

Clear the drain then have the septic tank inspected for signs of blockage such as high sewage levels.

On 2018-08-09 by Monique

my toilet on the first floor overflowed with clear water, enough to flood the first floor. It finally stopped once i shut the main coming into the house and plunged the toilet. I had the septic people come to clean filter and empty the tank. what are the chances this was septic related? or just a clog in the line? Thank you

On 2018-05-06 by (mod) -

Normal for a gravity system is bottom of the outlet pipe.

A clogged outlet filter will cause high levels in the tank.

On 2018-05-05 by Dennis Carter

what is a normal level for the effluent tank? and how can you tell a filter is bad?

On 2017-09-28 by (mod) -

Your plumber will form an opinion about where the blockage is in the piping system and probably dry cleaning that drain with an auger. If you find that there's no blockage between the building and the septic tank then the problem is at or Downstream from the tank for example in the d-box or in downstream effluent piping, in a failing drainfield

on occasion when we're having trouble locating a blockage a septic or sewer drain service company will run a sewer camera through the entire piping system to inspect the condition of the pipe and to find a blockage

On 2017-09-28 by Michael

Our half bath in basement releases into the 4" drain pipe into septic tank that feeds leach field. Today toilet overflowed during morning showers. toilet not clogged but main sewer pipe may be obstructed. What is the correct action to take?

On 2017-08-20 by (mod) - septic Tank filter is clogging up frequently. It looks like seeds or chaff of seeds

Seeds or chaff: I'd look for

- a septic tank that has gone too long without pumping

- an opening allowing debris to fall into the tank (also unsafe)

I wouldn't have thought seeds eaten in bread would clog a septic filter.

A more-likely explanation is that either the septic tank has not been pumped often enough (high levels of scum and sludge reduce the tank net free area) or it is too small for the average daily wastewater flow into the tank. If a tank is too small or has too small a net free area incoming wastewater keeps the tank agitated - the solids and scum don't have time to coagulate at the top scum layer or fall into the bottom sludge layer. Instead they would flow out into and ruin the drainfield, but where a savvy designer has included a septic tank outlet filter, those same floating solids clog the filter.

I would first check out the condition of the tank scum and sludge, next compare the tank size to the wastewater inflow - see EFFLUENT RETENTION TIME
and

see SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE
and for a more technical view of sludge and scum thickness

see
MEASURE SCUM & SLUDGE https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Level_Measurements.php

Venhuizen, David. "Decentralized Wastewater Management." Civil Engineering 61, no. 1 (1991): 69.

Excerpt: The bed surface might clog. ... Covering the sand filter beds protects them from such things as falling leaves or wind—borne seeds. ...

- this is not your situation but it's one of the few close references.

On 2017-08-20 by hsadler

My septic Tank filter is clogging up frequently. It looks like seeds or chaff of seeds blocking it.

The alarm goes off lately every two to three weeks and I have to go out and pull and clean the filter. Any ideas on what is causing this?

My thought is possibly we are eating whole grain products e.g. bread or wild rice where the chaff does not deteriorate. I've has the tank pumped and it still happens.

On 2017-01-15 by (mod) -

Will thanks so much for the comment. I'll add this note to our gurgling noise diagnosis for plumbing.

On 2017-01-15 by Will

Another sign of effluent septic filter clogging is gurgling in your sinks. Thinking it was a partial clog in the main house plumbing, used drain cleaners and/or augers, and come to find out it was the septic filter instead.

On 2016-12-12 by George

I accidentally dropped my filter with handle into tank when cleaning.
What should I do?


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